Hubert Vaudry - Böcker

Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide is the first volume to be written on the neuropeptide PACAP. It covers all domains of PACAP from molecular and cellular aspects to physiological activities and promises for new therapeutic strategies. Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide is the twentieth volume published in the Endocrine Updates book series under the Series Editorship of Shlomo Melmed, MD.

Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide is the first volume to be written on the neuropeptide PACAP. It covers all domains of PACAP from molecular and cellular aspects to physiological activities and promises for new therapeutic strategies. Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide is the twentieth volume published in the Endocrine Updates book series under the Series Editorship of Shlomo Melmed, MD.

This volume provides an overview on the biochemistry, physiology, and pharmacology of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), and related peptides. VIP and PACAP are undoubtedly among the most fascinating neuropeptides ever identified. They belong to the largest family of regulatory peptides, which comprises several other prominent neuroendocrine peptides including secretin (the first peptide hormone that has been identified), glucagon, and growth hormone-releasing hormone. The structural and physiological relationships of these peptides as well as their receptors provide a unique model for investigating the processes of molecular evolution leading to the diversification of multigene families. The primary structures of VIP and PACAP have been remarkably well conserved across vertebrates, suggesting that these peptides must be involved in vital functions throughout the animal kingdom. Indeed, VIP and PACAP appear to be implicated in a large array of physiological processes such as development; growth; endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory, reproductive and digestive functions; immune responses; and circadian rhythms. There is also clear evidence that VIP and PACAP exert both trophic and antiproliferative effects on normal and tumor cells. The beneficial influence of VIP and PACAP agonists and antagonists in various pathological states including heart failure, ischemia, asthma, impotence, and cancer has motivated the development of novel selective VIP or PACAP ligands that could potentially be used as antihypertensive, neuroprotective, bronchodilatory, vasodilatory, and/or antiproliferative drugs. The occurrence of multiple VIP/PACAP receptor subtypes and splice variants that exhibit tissue-specific expression and possess differential affinity for various ligands generates hopes for the development of new therapeutic agents that could act selectively on the desired target cells. NOTE: Annals volumes are available for sale as individual books or as a journal. For information on institutional journal subscriptions, please visit www.blackwellpublishing.com/nyas.ACADEMY MEMBERS: Please contact the New York Academy of Sciences directly to place your order (www.nyas.org). Members of the New York Academy of Science receive full-text access to the Annals online and discounts on print volumes. Please visit http://www.nyas.org/MemberCenter/Join.aspx for more information about becoming a member.

This volume provides a comprehensive review of recent developments in the fields of vertebrate and invertebrate endocrinology and neurobiology. The classical fields of comparative endocrinology and neurobiology are gaining new momentum from the many projects involving the sequencing of animal genomes. The comparative approach has proven to be one of the most rewarding for the study of gene functions and is a key component of functional genomics. The interactions between comparative endocrinology and genome sequencing as well as developmental biology and neurobiology are providing many exciting discoveries. NOTE: Annals volumes are available for sale as individual books or as a journal. For information on institutional journal subscriptions, please visit www.blackwellpublishing.com/nyas.ACADEMY MEMBERS: Please contact the New York Academy of Sciences directly to place your order (www.nyas.org). Members of the New York Academy of Science receive full-text access to the Annals online and discounts on print volumes. Please visit http://www.nyas.org/MemberCenter/Join.aspx for more information about becoming a member.

The classical fields of comparative endocrinology and neurobiology are gaining new momentum from the many projects involved with the sequencing of animal genomes. This volume covers recent and new developments in the fields of vertebrate and invertebrate endocrinology and neuroendocrinology. The comparative approach has proven to be one of the most rewarding to study gene functions and is a key component of functional genomics. The interactions between comparative endocrinology and genome sequencing as well as developmental biology and neurobiology are providing many exciting discoveries. Comparative endocrinology is highly suitable for translation of the knowledge of gene structure into insights into the physiology of organisms.NOTE: Annals volumes are available for sale as individual books or as a journal. For information on institutional journal subscriptions, please visit www.blackwellpublishing.com/nyas.ACADEMY MEMBERS: Please contact the New York Academy of Sciences directly to place your order (www.nyas.org). Members of the New York Academy of Science receive full-text access to the Annals online and discounts on print volumes. Please visit http://www.nyas.org/MemberCenter/Join.aspx for more information about becoming a member.

The volume highlights recent and new developments in all fields of neuropeptides in biological homeostasis regulation such as body weight and metabolism, reproduction, osmotic pressure reproduction. Special attention given to the phylogenetic aspects of neuroendocrinology, from invertebrates to mammals including humans.  The main target of the neuropeptides presented and discussed are newly found G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) ligands such as orexin, ghrelin, GALP, NPW, neuromedin U, 26FRa, urotensin II and metastin, but other important neuropeptides such as GHRH, CCK, GnIH, ANP are discusssed. This volume is based on a conference held as a satellite symposium of the 9th VIP/PACAP and Related Peptides Symposium in Kagoshima in Oct 5-8th in 2009.NOTE: Annals volumes are available for sale as individual books or as a journal. For information on institutional journal subscriptions, please visit www.blackwellpublishing.com/nyas.ACADEMY MEMBERS: Please contact the New York Academy of Sciences directly to place your order (www.nyas.org). Members of the New York Academy of Science receive full-text access to the Annals online and discounts on print volumes. Please visit http://www.nyas.org/MemberCenter/Join.aspx for more information about becoming a member.